What if?
by ForeverPercabeth
Summary: Annabeth made a mistake by ignoring her feelings for Percy ever since they broke up a few years ago. She didn't like it when those feelings returned. Was she too late to stop the unstoppable? One-shot!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians...**

My name is Annabeth Chase. I'm the daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. I'm 24 years old and I own the most successful architecture firm in New York City. My best friend, Percy Jackson, lives with me in an apartment. True enough, I could afford my own house but I just couldn't leave Percy alone.

We've had a very rough relationship, thanks to Aphrodite. We brushed the kiss off as a mistake and we acted like it never happened. But we always spend time together, laughing like the old days, talking like there's no tomorrow.

So when my secretary told me he was here, I wasn't surprised.

He comes here for lunch every day and every day my feelings for him started returning. I don't want that to happen to me again.

"What's up, wise girl?" he asked. I didn't look up at him. I didn't have to. He knows I hear him. Plus, I'm busy designing a hotel for a client of mine.

"Where do you want to go eat?" he sat down on the sofa in my office. He's a marine biologist now and I'm happy that he actually graduated college.

"I'm busy, Percy. Go away" I talk to him like this every time. And it hurts me as much as it hurts him

"Don't be so uptight, Annabeth" he said

"You should go" I said, my voice cold. I don't know why I'm like this but it's him. He knows when I want to see him or not and this day is a strong not.

"Okay" he said as he stood. He said goodbye to Betty and she returned the greeting before his footsteps are out of earshot.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him. He's just trying to be nice" my secretary told me. I rolled my eyes.

"We live together. Isn't that enough?"

"Why so strict, Annabeth?" she asked, "What happened?"

"Just a family problem" I said. "Maybe you're right. Where'd he say he's going?"

"Starbucks" she said, and I smiled in thanks.

I was expecting him to be alone, taking his coffee and reading the paper. But what I saw was the exact opposite. He was talking to a familiar brunette with striking blue eyes. Then it hit me.

Eloise Dupuis, daughter of Aphrodite.

"What's she doing with him?" I asked myself as I grabbed my cap and put it on. I needed a better look. A guy opened the door and I squeezed myself in.

"How are you, Percy?" the girl asked. Percy smiled a little, that smile I missed having on him

"You know, the usual" he said, his voice casual. There was this glint in his eyes that made me jealous to the bone. He liked her. And this fury began to boil my blood. I know seaweed brain likes Eloise for a long time but I never thought he would actually ask her out.

"How's Annabeth by the way?" she asked.

"She's kinda stressed" he said rather sadly. Eloise grabbed his hand on hers and a small smile erupted out of his handsome face.

"Thanks" he said.

And they kissed.

I staggered backwards and I hit the table. The couple sitting there looked startled, looking around for the clumsy jerk who ruined the moment but I ran outside quickly.

I locked myself in my room then, tears streaming down my eyes. I hated seeing him with other girls. Rachel's one thing but a half French daughter of Aphrodite. Not on my watch.

He's freaking getting married with that girl.

Let me explain, it's been a year since Eloise and my roommate started dating and they were in love. I bet it's just a spell she put on him. And I just couldn't bring myself to go to his wedding.

Nico decided to pay me a visit. He stood near my bedroom window and I smiled and hugged him tightly. Nico was surprised. We're not really close but I couldn't help but feel comforted just to have someone here.

"You're going to miss the wedding" he whispered to my ear

"I don't want to go" I said

"Percy wanted you to. He at least wants you to be happy for him"

"I am but I'm never going to be happy for myself"

"Look, Annabeth. I know you love him but you couldn't do anything now"

And I did the only thing I needed to. A kiss from the son of Hades.

"You didn't mean that" he told me when we pulled away.

I'm so confused.

Percy moved out from the apartment a few days after his wedding. We said our goodbyes but we kept it short. I tried hard not to cry but I found it impossible. I guess that's it for us.

And when Percy told me that he's moving to France, I was not going to let that happen.

I saw him three days before the big move. He was going home from resigning in his job as one of the best marine biologists of the state.

"This isn't necessary" I told him. He was a few meters away from me so I had to yell

"Oh, hi Annabeth" he said like he didn't hear what I said

"You don't have to go" I tried

"I need to start a new life. Don't worry, I still know what to do when monsters attack" he tried to smirk but we both know that's impossible.

"But you don't have to go" I don't want him to leave me like Luke or Thalia or my mother or my father. I don't want that. He's the only one I have that I know wouldn't do that to me. I didn't know how wrong I was.

"I have to. My wife…"

"Eloise would understand" It started raining. The once cloudy skies thought it would be nice to start pouring. Why does my life have to be so dramatic? Curse you Aphrodite.

"Annabeth" he said

"We could leave them behind. We could run away. Like I did before. But we'll make sure no one will follow us. Percy, please. Don't leave me like they did" Tears were streaming down my eyes. I just don't want him to leave me.

"I never did, wise girl" he said, turning to me. "You're the one who left me" I could see the pain in his eyes as he tried to look at me. He's right.

"I love you" I admitted. I always loved him. I never stopped loving him. I never stopped. "I love you, seaweed brain. I love you since we kissed in Mt. St. Helens. I love you since you never gave up searching for me when I got kidnapped by Atlas. I love you, Percy. I love you so much" I could tell he was crying to. I'm not surprised. It hurts him to see me hurt.

"Do you remember my wedding day?" he asked. I nodded "When you didn't come, I knew you were still in the apartment so I had to come and get you. You didn't know how doubtful I was during that day. And when I saw you kissing Nico, it hurt so badly. Did you know that I was actually considering leaving Eloise in the altar? I just wanted to hear you say you wanted that too. That you want to run away with me, be like before we ever considered breaking-up. So when I saw that, I thought you wanted me to be happy with Eloise" I gave a visible gulp and was about to say something when I heard him say, "I loved you, wise girl but we couldn't go back to that now. We both moved on from that day and I want you to remember me as a friend and never as a former lover. It would just hurt you. And you know how much I hate seeing you get hurt."

It stings. Bad. The rain poured harder and we were both soaking. I was confused since Percy can't get wet if he wanted to but I guess he just couldn't grab the strength to do so. I never considered him thinking about leaving Eloise in the altar for me. If only I never kissed Nico. What if I just went to lunch with him so that he wouldn't see Eloise? What if we were married today and we would be living the rest of our lives together? What if I never had doubts about loving him?

"You loved me. Past tense. Do you love me now?" I asked him, he blinked and moved a step closer to me

"I never stopped loving you, Annabeth. I just want you to be happy" he gave me a sad smile before walking away but I stopped him. I don't want him to go.

"I don't want you to leave me like they did. You're the only one I have, Percy. Remember what I said? About building something permanent? I want that with you, not with Nico."

"I want that too, wise girl, but it's too late now"

"It's never too late"

"What am I supposed to do then? I'm leaving in three days. Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"Because I was afraid" I admitted. "I was scared that you didn't feel the same way. That I was just fooling myself like I was young. I love you and that will never change, seaweed brain." I took a deep breath. It suddenly got really hard to breathe. "Look, I'm not stopping you but I'm giving you a choice." I closed my eyes, letting more tears fall.

Then suddenly, I heard footsteps. I figured it was Percy leaving but when I felt his strong arms wrap around me in a tight hug, I was smiling. He kissed the top of my head like the old days, comforting me in a way I would have thought would be extinct.

"I love you, Annabeth" he told me, his voice soothing. "I love you so much"

"I love you, too, Percy" he tilted my face up so I could look at him and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

I opened my eyes and he smiled at me kindly. He finally found the strength to keep us both dry and I smiled at him, kissing him so passionately I never thought it was possible.

"What about Eloise and Nico?" I asked him

"Well we have to break the news to them. Elo would be crushed" he joked

"Then to avoid Nico killing you, we could move to California" I raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to protest

"What do we do now?" I asked him, he laughed

"You haven't changed, have you?"

"What's there to change?" I teased, he smiled

"And to think we were so close to getting permanently separated" he said with a sigh. He pulled me to his car and we sat at the back seat. "Listen, Annabeth, you know I'm married and you have a boyfriend. What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't want to hurt Nico and it's bad to get an Aphrodite chick mad so I guess we should let them down slowly"

"So when it didn't work out with Eloise, we could run away together"

"I don't have much experience" I laughed.

"Don't worry about that"

**Epilogue:**

"Hey Percy, have you seen Jaime?"

"I think she's hiding from you again" I smiled a little before searching for my daughter. "Why does she enjoy hiding anyways?"

"Maybe because she got it from you"

"Hahaha" I heard someone giggle and I tried hard to hide my smile, failing miserably. I grabbed the person behind me and my cap fell off her head. She started laughing

"How'd you get my cap?"

"Well" she said in her innocent yet incredibly smart English, "It's not hard to find it, mom"

She's 5. How can she talk like that?

"Come on, it's time for bed" I told her, she nodded and we brought her to her room

"Do you even know how hard it is to find you, Jaime?" she laughed

"Mother, you've been fighting monsters since you were a child. I'm sure searching for a five year old is one of the easiest things you've done" I rolled my eyes and kissed the top of her jet black hair

"Go to sleep" I ordered. She nodded and closed her eyes

"She got that from you, you know" he said as he gave me a quick peck on the cheek

"Why do I have to be so smart?"

"You can't help it" he removed his shirt and moved beside me in bed.

"You should sleep" he said, giving me the same tone I gave to my daughter. I gave my signature eye roll and closed my eyes.

Who knew what ifs would solve our problems? As much as I hated Aphrodite, she helped me in a way gods aren't supposed to. I smiled when I felt him kiss the top of my head. He did build something permanent with me. He never left me and I was just too stubborn to see it. He's always there for me even through my crappy attitude. I love him and he loves me. Let's just say I'm happy for the first time in a decade.


End file.
